Weekly Bulletin

The dynamic between the apostles and Jesus revealed in this week’s Gospel is fascinating. Tellingly, rather than asking for Jesus to increase their faith, they tell him to. There are similarities here in wanting to have the best seats at feasts, to be seen as the most devout person in the temple, and so on. This Gospel passage is part of Luke’s wider narrative arc which shows Jesus upending social conventions and questioning mindsets of self-aggrandisement.

Also important is what is at stake. The apostles rather naively see faith as some measurable thing which they can possess in greater or lesser amounts. Jesus turns this view of faith on its head by telling them that even with a smidgen of faith they could do great things. Faith is not meant to be accumulated; it is meant to spark action. That Jesus then goes on to speak of servants doing their duty further underlines his point that the apostles’ desire for faith needs to be redirected to action.

With this in mind, we might well ask ourselves whether our faith is just about making us feel holier; or do we ‘hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor and do something about it?

Resource Used: Season of Creation, by Nick Brodie - Liturgy Help

Listening to Our Neighbours

Rising sea levels, bigger king tides, more frequent and severe storms, coastal erosion, coral bleaching, and decreasing fish stocks are already a daily reality for Pacific island nations. Some islands are in imminent danger of disappearing beneath the waves and their communities are facing the painful task of relocating. Merineta from Tuvalu explains:

“As a mother of a seven-month-old baby I am worried about his future and his life - all the children of Tuvalu have a right to life - a right to an environment with good quality. I love my country, I love my people and traditions, I love my culture and I don’t want to lose them because of climate change. We all want to stay in our own lands because it defines who we are. We don’t want to migrate or relocate.”

The Season of Creation concludes on the 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, but we are called to Listen to the Voice of Creation every day.

2021-2022 Social Justice Statement, Cry of the Earth – Cry of the Poor.

https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Social-Justice-Statement-2021-22.pdf

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Heart Spirituality
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Living a life focused on serving God and His Kingdom, is not easy. Our lives belong to God. As Christian stewards, serving God is both our privilege and responsibility.
Living our lives in God’s service is very much our responsibility. Through the parable of the unprofitable servant Jesus describes a scene in which a servant has just come in from tending to the master’s affairs and asks whether it would be reasonable for the master to begin waiting on his servant. Of course, it would not be reasonable! The servant would be expected to continue to serve his master until he has completed the work the master has given him that day. Jesus says we should have this same attitude before God. 
 Our very lives belong to God. The time, talents, and treasure entrusted to us are all God’s but our responsibility.

www.catholicsteward.com 

9 Oct           Lector Roster

9 Oct           Ministers of Communion

9 Oct           Hospitality Roster

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